1. Field of the invention
The present invention relates generally to practice balls for golf, and more specifically to a moderately resilient, energy-absorbing ball for use in practice areas of limited space.
2. Description of the Related Art
One desiring to become proficient at the game of golf soon learns that excellence is achieved only through diligent practice. Owing to weather and other limitations, it is often desirable to conduct a practice session in an enclosed or limited area, perhaps indoors. Such practice is made much safer when a ball having an energy-absorbing nature is used. Energy-absorbing practice balls have a greatly reduced velocity upon rebound from a rigid target; this avoids damage to nearby objects, and injury to the practicing golfer.
Energy-absorbing practice balls previously disclosed and patented include that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 1,575,281 issued to Rosenberg in 1926 for a practice ball with a seamless knit cover enclosing a fibrous core and the method of constructing same. In the same year, U.S. Pat. No. 1,580,,230 issued to Brerton for a lightweight, indoor practice ball having a surface of yarn ends, or alternatively nappy, roughened cloth.
A later-developed device incorporating marking media for analysis of one's swing is found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,081,091 issued to Grow in 1963. Grow discloses a practice ball with a resilient shell around a fibrous core, the shell having an aperture, and the core carrying a marking powder for release on the face of a golf club head upon impact.
A still later disclosure of a tennis practice ball is somewhat similar; said disclosure is made in U.S. Pat. No. 4,065,126 issued to Mantz in 1977. Therein, a practice ball is shown to include a fibrous core, an inner cloth cover and an outer knit cover. The outer knit cover is capable of carrying a marking powder; the powder is dislodged at the balls position of impact with a practice target.
With a similar purpose in mind, the energy-absorbing golf practice ball of my previous U.S. Pat. No. 4,596,392 issued in 1986, also carries marking powder upon a fabric cover. From the telltale mark this ball leaves, one may assess the raw accuracy of a practice golf shot. In addition, its core is clayey in consistency; the ball becomes deformed upon impact and therefore permits some analysis of the attitude of club face contact. Some indication of the ball's direction of rotation in flight is also afforded, this being approximated from the relative positions of flat areas caused by the first impact of the club face and the second impact of the target board. However, precise analysis of spin is difficult with this earlier ball. Further, it requires manual reshaping after each practice shot. Neither this, nor the other practice balls discussed above have all the qualities needed for a superior moderately resilient, energy-absorbing practice ball. Those qualities include the weight and swing-feel of a regulation golf ball, the ability to carry a marking powder, and a resilient character which obviates the need for reshaping and promotes a true bounce off a target board for accurate spin analysis.